Policy TC1(S) Hierarchy of town centres

Object

Representation ID: 9287

Received: 27/07/2022

Respondent: Mr Jonathan Pelham

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Any fair assessment of Shortstown would recognize it is more of a neighbourhood centre in terms of services available. It should not be designated as a key service centre.

Object

Representation ID: 9306

Received: 28/07/2022

Respondent: Mrs Frances Baylis

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

I oppose the characterisation on p. 53 of our connection to Bedford as good. Except portions of the industrial area within the parish north of the A421 we are connected to Bedford via a single road which, while designated as an A road, does not represent a good connection. There is one bridalway under the A421, only accessible via roads without pavement through Harrowden. Shortstown is dependent on the A600 for commuting North towards the A421 and Bedford, and South. This single link has proven vulnerable to disruption due to an accident blackspot at the junction with Harrowden Lane.

Object

Representation ID: 9335

Received: 28/07/2022

Respondent: Mrs Frances Baylis

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

I oppose the characterisation on p. 53 of our connection to Bedford as good. Except portions of the industrial area within the parish north of the A421 we are connected to Bedford via a single road which, while designated as an A road, does not represent a good connection. There is one bridalway under the A421, only accessible via roads without pavement through Harrowden. Shortstown is dependent on the A600 for commuting North towards the A421 and Bedford, and South. This single link has proven vulnerable to disruption due to an accident blackspot at the junction with Harrowden Lane.

Object

Representation ID: 9345

Received: 28/07/2022

Respondent: Mr Eric Benton

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

The Wilstead Community has consistently objected to the village being called a "Key Service Centre". Wilstead and Wixams cannot both be KSCs - they are next to one another and share facilities which are being double counted.

Object

Representation ID: 9353

Received: 28/07/2022

Respondent: Mrs Sylvia Lorenzo

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

I oppose the characterisation on p. 53 of our connection to Bedford as good. Except portions of the industrial area within the parish north of the A421 we are connected to Bedford via a single road which, while designated as an A road, does not represent a good connection. There is one bridalway under the A421, only accessible via roads without pavement through Harrowden. Shortstown is dependent on the A600 for commuting North towards the A421 and Bedford, and South. This single link has proven vulnerable to disruption due to an accident blackspot at the junction with Harrowden Lane.

Object

Representation ID: 10023

Received: 27/07/2022

Respondent: Shortstown Parish Council

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Policy TC1(S) We oppose the characterization on page 53 of our connection to Bedford as good. With the exception of portions of the industrial area within the parish north of the A421 we are connected to Bedford via a single road and while it is designated as an A
road it does not represent a good connection. We also have one bridleway under the A421 but this can only be reached by walking along roads without pavement through Harrowden.
Shortstown is dependent on the A600 for professionals to commute to work either North towards the A421 and Bedford or to the South. However this single link has proven to be vulnerable to disruption going as it does through an accident blackspot at the junction with
Harrowden Lane. Public transport is currently insufficient except for accessing Bedford for occasional shopping. This creates a tension between the notional Borough policy to reduce car use with transport infrastructure that discourages public transport use for commuters.
We oppose our designation in Policy TC1(S) on page 86 as a Key Service Centre. As previously discussed given our resources and services we are more of a neighbourhood centre.

Comment

Representation ID: 10268

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Central Bedfordshire Council

12. Town Centre and Retail Policies
12.1 CBC supports the aims of the submission local plan in ensuring the vitality of town centres, particularly on the back of the struggles many town centres faced, and are still facing, as a result of the pandemic.
12.2 In order to ensure the longevity of town centres and retail outlets, Policy TC1(S) and TC2 are considered to identify an appropriate town centre hierarchy and approach to retail, leisure and office development.

Support

Representation ID: 10377

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: Liberal Democrat Party Bedford Borough Council

• We welcome the specific introduction of policies to support the vitality and viability of our Town Centres in Bedford and in Kempston.

Comment

Representation ID: 10408

Received: 29/07/2022

Respondent: The Executors of the late Nigel Alington

Agent: Code Development Planners Ltd

These representations have been prepared by CODE Development Planners on behalf of the Executors
of the late Nigel Alington in relation to the policies and evidence base of the regulation 19 Bedford
Borough Local Plan 2040 (BBLP 2040).
2 Proposals being promoted
2.1 The Alington Estate, Little Barford is proposed for allocation under Policy HOU19 of the BBLP 2040 for
a new settlement to delivery at least 4,000 new homes and in the region of 4ha of employment land.
The policy also identifies, inter alia, “walkable neighbourhoods which will enable residents to meet the
majority of their day to day needs locally” and “the new settlement will provide a range of community
services and facilities including health, education, retail, culture, community meeting spaces,
multifunctional open space and sports and leisure facilities.” However, there is no corresponding
recognition within Policy TC1(S) and paragraph 5.7 that the new settlement will create a local centre
and neighbourhood centres.
2.2 The Town Centres and Shopping Policies Topic Paper, April 2022 refers to the types of centres
(para 2.3). It states, “Local centres include a range of small shops of a local nature, serving a small
catchment. Typically, local centres might include, amongst other shops, a small supermarket, a
newsagent, a sub-post office and a pharmacy. Other facilities could include a hot-food takeaway and
launderette. In rural areas, large villages may perform the role of a local centre.” We recognise that until
a masterplan has been progressed for the new settlement at Little Barford the location and extend of
the local centre within it will not be spatially defined. However, the effective delivery of the ‘placemaking’,
‘accessible’ and ‘prosperous’ elements of Policy HOU19 would be enhanced by the inclusion of Little
Barford as a “Local Centre: Key Service Centre” within policy TC1(S) and an additional bullet point
within Policy HOU19.
Although Wixams is not a direct comparable, wording in paragraph 5.7 of the BBLP 2040 states,
“Wixams new settlement is identified as a potential Key Service Centre as, over the course of the plan
period, the planned town centre will be constructed and, once completed, will serve the settlement . . .”
It would seem reasonable that similar wording should be inserted into the policy in recognition of Little
Barford’s allocation as a new settlement.
2.4 The urban area of St Neots, Huntingdonshire is within 0.5 miles of the northern boundary of the Little
Barford New Settlement boundary. St Neots has been identified within the Huntingdonshire Local Plan
to 2036 as one of four spatial planning areas. This designation is the highest order settlement and
reflects St Neots’ status as a traditional market town and as one of the most sustainable centres for
development1.
2.5 The relative positions of St Neots and Little Barford within the settlement hierarchy, with St Neots
categorised as the equivalent of a strategic or district centre and Little Barford as a local centre: key
service centre (policy TC1(S)) recognises that whist the day to day needs of the residents of the new
settlement of Little Barford will be provided on site, residents would travel beyond the new settlement
for access to higher order facilities. The proximity of the two settlements to one another enables such
journeys to be made by sustainable and active modes of travel.